Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) and Ford Racing officially kicked of their celebration of Henry Ford’s 150th birthday Wednesday, unveiling a special paint scheme that Wood Brothers Racing and driver Trevor Bayne will compete with this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Special guests from FCSD and Ford Racing were joined by two generations of the Ford family – Henry’s great-grandson Edsel B. Ford II, and Edsel’s son Albert; and representatives from The Henry Ford Museum, including President Patricia Mooradian.

Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863.

Bayne, who will drive the Henry Ford 150 Fusion this weekend at the Brickyard 400, surprised the audience by walking out in a specially designed firesuit, made to look like the regular suit the founder of Ford Motor Company wore when he raced “Sweepstakes” to a win in his first (and only) race.

“This is a great day for FCSD and our brands, Motorcraft, Quick Lane and FordParts.com,” said Travis Hunt, motorsports marketing manager for FCSD. “We are honored to represent our founder, Henry Ford, and his 150-year legacy. I can’t tell you how proud I am. FCSD is happy to be part of the Wood Brothers’ 63-year Ford Racing tradition.”

They proudly pointed out the special features of the design, from the iconic image of Henry Ford and “Sweepstakes” on the hood to that of mechanic Ed “Spider” Huff on the side, just as he was during the race that gave Henry Ford the capital to form Ford Motor Company.

“Each detail on this car has historical significance,” Hunt said.

Significantly, this weekend will mark the first time the Wood Brothers have raced a car painted black.

“When designing a paint scheme, you always start with the color. For Henry Ford’s car, we knew that color had to be black,” said Hunt, referring to Henry Ford’s famous quote about the Model T.

Even Trevor’s helmet is special – it looks just as it would have during Henry’s time, with a leather finish and goggles on the front.

“I can’t believe how cool this Henry Ford 150 paint scheme came out,” Eddie Wood said. “I can’t begin to say how special this is for my family. We’ve never raced anything but Fords from the beginning and to be able to celebrate Henry’s 150th birthday is an incredible honor for us.”

Both Eddie and Len are frequent visitors to the museum, where their 2011 Daytona 500-winning Motorcraft/Quick Lane Fusion is on display. The fact that two of their cars were in the museum at once was not lost on the Woods, who gladly answered questions from fans who showed up to watch the unveil.

“Thanks to everyone who came to share this moment with us,” said Mary Lou Quesnell, director of marketing for FCSD. “This year is an important milestone for the Ford family and we are pleased to be part of the celebration.”

For live updates from the Brickyard 400 and all season long, follow the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion team on Twitter (@MQL_Racing) and Facebook (click on the “Twitter” icon). Follow Wood Brothers Racing on Facebook and Twitter (@WoodBrothers21) and driver Trevor Bayne on Facebook and Twitter (@TBayne21).